Inflatable vulcanized article



-Ma'y 29, 192s.

R. HOPKINSON INFLATABLE VULCANIZED ARTICLE,

Filed July 28, 1925 z shets-sheet 2 inve/tez Russe/.L HUP/maan Patented May 29, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUSSELL HOPKINSON, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR'TO RUBBER GLOVE MFG. CO., CONNECTICUT. i

Application tutti .nay 28,

This iinenlion relates lo an inflatable Vuleanized article, more particularly to a pneumatic surf board, and is a division in part of my topending application SerialvNo. 043,503, lilcd .lune 5, 1923.

'Ihe use of surf boards bybathers at the various beaches is becoming quite common. 1n using such boards the bather walks out into the water as far as possible and upon the approach of a breaker launches himself upon the board and in the direction of the shore just as the crest of the breaker reaches him. the object being to maintain the board .in suzha position that it tends to slide by gravity down vthe forward face of the wav-o,

lint duc lo the iniva rd movement of the wave' the board is carried forward continually until the shore is reached; As commonly constructed these boards are made of Wood or other rigid material and their use is therefore attended with some risk, owing t the likelihood of the user and those in the vicinity being struck by the board. Moreover as the boards arc somewhat-bulky they are inconvenient to carry when not in use. It has been proposed tomake a. pneumatic surf board in which the vouter casing is divided into compartments` and elongated inliatable bags inserted into the compartments, secured in place and then intlii'idually inflated. Such boards are relatively 'heavy,'expensive`, and considerable time is required to assemble them.

An object of my invention is to provide a light relatively rigid inflatable article of vulcanized material. l

Another object is to provide an integrally united inflatable article of vulcanized material which may be folded or rolled into small'compass when detiated.

A still further object is to provide a light.

-sa-fe and easily handled pneumatic surf board.

For a detailed disclosure ofthe invention reference is had to the accompanying speci cation and drawings, in which latter,

l represents in sectional perspective .a partially completed pneumatic article according toone form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the article 1n a vstrip of rubberized fabric 2 is THE GOODYEAR'S INDIA 0F NAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF INFLATABLE VULCANIZD ARTICLE.

1926. Serial No. 125,380.

more or less diagrammatic form at a later -l4`ig. 3 is tlated article: Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustratinganother t'orm of the invention in its initial stages;

'Fig. 5 illustrates a later stage of said modified forni;

ltig. (i rcjjn'cseittsa finished article of the modified form;

Figs. 7 and 8 are fragn'ientary illustrations of another moditication in. two stages of its manufacture;

Figs. 9, 10, 1l and 12 eacli illustrate further modifications of the invention;

Fig. 13 is a` plan View of a linished surf board ;v

Fig. 14; is a side elevation thereof;

`Fig. l is a front View;

lo' is a sectional perspective of a mod ilied Istrengthening member; and Ifig. 1T is a sectional perspective. of an article using the construction shown in Figure 16.

Referring to the form l to 3,a bottom sheet 1 of any suitable nnvulcanized rubberized fabric is laid in the flat, which sheet maybe cemented on its upper face along its central portion and from thence to its left-hand edge. A spacing then laid on the central cemented portion and rolled down. Another strip 3 of rubberized fabric of greater width is then superposed on the strip 2 with its edges projecting at each side of the latter, and the projecting portion 4 which overlies the cemented portion of the sheet 1 is rolled down into union with the lat-ter. A strip 5 similar to the strip 3 is laid on the strip 3 in a shingled arrangement and that portion 6 of it which overhangs the cemented portion of the' sheet 1 is rolled into contact with the latter. A strip 7 similar to the strips 3 and 5 is next placed in position in the saine manner and its overhangiug portion 8 rolled down into connection with the sheet 1. If the sheet 1 is of greater width this process will of course be continued until the edge of the sheet is reached. The strips 2, 3, 5 and 7 may be strips which are not to be adhesivel united may vbe dusted with starch or ta c. The right-hand uside of the sheet 1 may then bel cemented and a series of strips joined there-- to in the same manner but with the overlap oppositely directed. Those portions of the strips which are to be united to the sheet 1 may of course also be cemented. Each Vstrip is then exactly doubled lupon itself as shown diagrannnatically in Figure 2 and at the center a spacing strip 12 is laid on exactly above the spacing strip 2. A top sheet 13 Lwhich may have its under surface cemented, is then united to the portions'9, 10, and 11y` of the'doubled over strips which overlie the respective portions 8, 6 and 4, and it is also united to the top spacing strip 12. By reason of the extended area of connection between the strips 3, 5 and 7, and the top and bottom said strips are very strongly connected to the top and bottom. The top sheet 13 and bottom sheet 1 are then Joined all around their edges in any suitable manner as by overlapping, and a valve inserted at a suitable place, which in the case of a pneuvmatic surf board may be inserted at the rear as shown at 14 in Figure 13.- |1`he article may 'then be very lightly inflated to the form shown in Figure 3 and cured. As the usual heat of vulcanizationren-ders the stock so soft that it tends to run or become quite plastic it is preferable to use a stock containing one of the so-called cold cure accelerators. When using such a stock the article may be left to cure at ordinary temperatures, or if'it is desired to hasten the process it may be heated for a short time at a relatively low temperature, for instance 150 F. While in the present form of the invention the parts have been described as being cemented'tbgether it is-obvious that thegreen rubber parts may be merely adhesivel united by rolling and the nalcure relie on to permanently unite them in the manner com- -monly,depended upon in making-plied'up rubber articles. Moreover,` if desired, the articleinaybe built up of vulcanized stock with the use ofan ordinary or a self curing cement to secure the'parts.

In/ the case of some articles such as-mattresses, cushions, etc., it may be desired to make them of the same thickness throughout, but in the case of the surf board it is preferred 'to-have the greatest depth at a point between 1,41 and 1/3 the length from the bow, and defcrease the., depth from this point/to the -bowand stern. To accomplish this purpose the strips 2 .3, 5 and '7 can be '16 correspondingly disposed on the upper and lower sheets. Tubes 18 which may be formed of rubberized fabric are fiattened so as to form superposed plies, and the fiattened tubes laid centrally onl the cemented strips 16 of the bottom sheet and rolled down. The top sheet 17 is then disposed so that its cemented strips 16 are located centrally 'of the top plies of the flattened tubes, the sheet rolled down and the edges of the sheets joined by lapping or otherwise to completely inclose the article, which when iuated has the form shown in Fig. 6. Inthis modification when it is desired to make the article of greater depth at any pointl the tubes 18 may be made vtapering or conical with the greatest diameter at the point where the greatest deptlris desired, orinstead the cemented area whichV joins each ,tube to the sheet may be made of a gradually increasing width from the point of greatest depth. l v

In Figures L and 8 there is shown a iur-A ther modiication ofthe invention which is very similar to that shown inFigui-es 1-3. In this form the bottom sheet 19 is laid {lat as before and the spacing strip 20 is ce-- mented to the bottom sheet asin the form shownin Fi ure 1. However, the spacing strip is ma e of a greater width and itsI edges are folded over as shown at 2l. The stri s 22 are disposed on the bottom in shingie arrangement as in the form shown iuA Figure 1, ut the strips lare of somewhat greater width and at the edges aret'olded 1n as shown at 23. vWhen the strips-are doubled over the folded top edge 23 is disldown in exactly the same manner as inthe form shownin Figures 1-3. It will be Seen from an inspection of Figure 8 that in the nished articlethe strips 22 form strengthening and sti'enin ribs exactly as do the strips 3, 5, and 7, ut that in addition the portions of the ribs which are connected vto the top and bottom also extend downwardly and upwardl respectively, on the vert1cal rtions Iof t e ad]oining ribs, thereby both urther strengthening the connection between the ribs and the top and bottom and also making the ribs stiften The extended 130 ends'of the 1central spacing strips 20 and; 24

erform a similar function for the ribs ad- ]oining them. In addition, in both the form shown in Figures 1-3 and th in Fi ures 7 and 8, the top and bottom are in e ect made two ply by reason of the spacing strips and attaching ends of the connecting strips, thereby greatly strengthening the article.

A simpliiied form of the invention is shown in Figure 9, in which the top and bottom sheets 27 and 28 are unitedalong narrow spaced areas 29 by rolling them into adhesion or by both cementing and rolling them so that in the finished and cured article the top and bottom will be firmly united at these points. When iniiated lit assumes the sha e as illustrated in the figure.

The orm shown in Figure 10 is similar to that in Figure 9 and the top and bottom sheets 30 and 31, respectively, are united along narrow spaced areas 32 in the same manner as in the form shown in Figure 9, but strengthening members such as` the stitches 33 are disposed in the joined areas,

and the stitches covered by gum strips 34.

It vis obvious that instead of the stitches,

staples or any other suitable fastenings may be employed.

In the form shown in Figure 11 the top sheet 35 and bottom sheet 36 are united along narrow spaced areas by means of the interposed small tubes 37 of rubberized fabric. These tubes are attened out when the 2 parts are rolled together and the superposed y plies furnish a relatively extended unitmg area to the top and bottom sheets.

In the form shown in Figure 12 the top sheet 38 and bottom sheet 39 are also united along narrow spaced areasby interposed strengthening and stiifening members. Each stifening member is formed of two superposed strips 40 of rubberized fabric which may be -rolled into adhesive contact on their center line and also stitched or otherwise secured along this line as shown at 41, while the remainder of the contacting faces of the strips 40 are kept from adhering by the use of starch or talc. In making an article accordin to this modification of the invention the ottom sheet is laid fiat and a series of the strengthening members disposed on the bottom sheet in spaced relation, the bottom face of the lower strip 40 article cured. This modification also provides an extended joining area between the. strengthening member and the top and bottom sheets. It is obvious as before stated that' either or both of a pair of surfaces to lrmi-,cia

at shown bejoined may be cemented or the natural arts.

In Figures 16 and 17 still another modii cation of the manner of forming the strengthening ribs is shown. In this modiication ribs- 42 formed of fabric or-any other suitable material are joined by seams 43 'to top and bottom attaching )strips 44, or in any other suitable manner. 42 in this instance need not be frictioned or otherwise coated with rubber, and the strips 44 need only be frictioned or rubber coated on their outer or attaching faces. In assembling an article according to this modification the bottom sheet 46 of rubberized fabric is laid down, and the strengthening ribs and connected. attaching strips are folded as shown in Figure 17 and laid on the bottom sheet in spaced relation. tioned outer or contacting faces of the bottom attaching strips 44 may be merely The ribsl The fricrolled into adhesive contact with the rubberized sheet 46 or cementmay be used in addition. The top sheet 45 is then laid on and connected to the upper attaching strips 44 in the same manner, and the top and bottom sheets 45 and 46 then joined at their edges. This form of the invention provides a very strong unionbetween the strengthening ribs and the top and bottom of the article without perforation of said top and bottom, thereby lessening any chance of leakage through sewed seams. y,

It will be seen that by my invention a pneumatic surf board is provided which in the .iinished article is a unitary body,'and which can be simply and economically built up in the Hat from the prepared parts. By merely increasing the air pressure a surf board of any desired stiffness may be obtained, but if desired stifening members may be inserted in the vertical ribs or in the top and bottom. By4 deiiating the article it can be rolled into small compass for ioo shipping or storage. When inflated the vertical ribs 3, 5 and 7 as shown in Figures A 1 to 3, or the various connections shown in the modified forms, act as strengthening and connecting members and also to stilen the board.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described as applied to a pneumatic surf board it is obvious that\it is not so limited in its application and that it can be used for making pneumatic floats of various kinds, mattresses, cushions, and many other articles, and it is therefore not desired to limit the invention otherwise than as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what p I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. An iniiata'ble article of vulcanized material comprising spaced top and bottom sheets of vulcanized material and spaced ribs extending between the topand bottom, Said ribs havin extended attaching portions joined to said top and bottom.

'2. An inflatable vulcanized article comprising top and bottom'sheets of vulcanized material joined at their edges and spaced ribs having extended yattaching portions united to the top and bottom sheets, the edge portions of said attaching portions being angilarly disposed and united to an adjacent r1 3. An infiatable vulcanized article comprising top/and bottom sheets of vulcanized material joined at their edges and spaced ribs having extended att-aching portions united to the top and bottom sheets, the edge portions of said attaching portions being angularly disposed and united to an adjacent rib, and the attaching'portions of the ribs eX- tending `i'n opposite directions from the center lineof the article. 1

4. A pneumatic surf board comprising a top and bottom of vulcanized material and spaced interposed longitudinally extending connectin and stitfening ribs, the whole being integra ly. united by vulcanization.

5. A pneumatic surf board com rising a topand bottom united at their egcs, and spaced interposed longitudinally extending strengthening and stiii'ening ribs attached to the to and bottom, the whole forming a unitary ody of vulcanized material united by the act of`-vulcanization.

6. A neumatic surf /board comprising a top and ottom of vulcanized material united at their edges, and spaced interposed strengthening ribs connected to the top and ner/1,642

spaced top and bottom of vulcanized mate-V rial, the spacing of the bottom from the top decreasing towards the bow and stern of the board, spaced interposed ribs united by vulcanization to the top and bottom, and means whereby the board ma b inflated.

9. -A pneumatic surf boar comprising a topy and bottom of rubberizedv fabric, and spaced longitudinal stren heningribs of rubberized fabric `united y vulcanization to the' top and bottom, said ribs decreasing Y in depth from an intermediate portion of the board toward the bow and stern.

10. A pneumatic surf board comprising a top and bottom of rubberized fabric, spaced interposed strengthening ribs of rubberized fabric, said ribs having extended att-aching portions joined to the top and bottom by vulcanization, the edges of the top and bottom being joined and said ribs terminat- 1n short "of said edges.

igned at New York, county of New York, State of New York, this 26th day of July,

f Y RUSSELL HOPKINSON. 

